2004 Washington Secretary of State election
November 2, 2004
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County results Reed: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Ruderman: 40–50% 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Washington (state) |
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The 2004 Washington Secretary of State election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004, to elect the Washington Secretary of State, concurrently with the 2004 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the U.S. Senate and various state and local elections, including for U.S. House and governor of Washington. Primary elections took place on September 14.[1]
Incumbent Republican Secretary of State Sam Reed was re-elected to a second term in office, defeating Democratic challenger Laura Ruderman.[2]
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Sam Reed (incumbent) | 448,936 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 448,936 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Laura Ruderman, state representative (1999–2005)[3]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Laura Ruderman | 612,104 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 612,104 | 100.00% | ||
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Jacqueline Passey[5]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Libertarian | Jacqueline Passey | 12,787 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 12,787 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Endorsements
Sam Reed (R)
Newspapers
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Sam Reed (incumbent) | 1,369,421 | 51.47% | +4.39% | |
| Democratic | Laura Ruderman | 1,209,299 | 45.45% | –1.18% | |
| Libertarian | Jacqueline Passey | 82,097 | 3.09% | –1.04% | |
| Total votes | 2,660,817 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
By county
| County[7] | Sam Reed
Republican |
Laura Ruderman
Democratic |
Jacqueline Passey
Libertarian |
Margin | Total votes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 3,362 | 70.62% | 1,298 | 27.26% | 101 | 2.12% | 2,064 | 43.35% | 4,761 |
| Asotin | 4,474 | 55.00% | 3,423 | 42.08% | 238 | 2.93% | 1,051 | 12.92% | 8,135 |
| Benton | 42,189 | 68.39% | 17,723 | 28.73% | 1,780 | 2.89% | 24,466 | 39.66% | 61,692 |
| Chelan | 18,037 | 65.60% | 8,752 | 31.83% | 705 | 2.56% | 9,285 | 33.77% | 27,494 |
| Clallam | 17,795 | 52.87% | 14,711 | 43.71% | 1,151 | 3.42% | 3,084 | 9.16% | 33,657 |
| Clark | 83,588 | 53.74% | 67,285 | 43.26% | 4,656 | 2.99% | 16,303 | 10.48% | 155,529 |
| Columbia | 1,352 | 69.94% | 532 | 27.52% | 49 | 2.53% | 820 | 42.42% | 1,933 |
| Cowlitz | 19,274 | 48.34% | 19,322 | 48.46% | 1,277 | 3.20% | -48 | -0.12% | 39,873 |
| Douglas | 8,472 | 66.69% | 3,912 | 30.80% | 319 | 2.51% | 4,560 | 35.90% | 12,703 |
| Ferry | 1,744 | 56.39% | 1,211 | 39.15% | 138 | 4.46% | 533 | 17.23% | 3,093 |
| Franklin | 10,072 | 66.28% | 4,756 | 31.30% | 367 | 2.42% | 5,316 | 34.99% | 15,195 |
| Garfield | 818 | 68.00% | 356 | 29.59% | 29 | 2.41% | 462 | 38.40% | 1,203 |
| Grant | 16,181 | 65.93% | 7,672 | 31.26% | 691 | 2.82% | 8,509 | 34.67% | 24,544 |
| Grays Harbor | 13,441 | 51.00% | 12,105 | 45.93% | 808 | 3.07% | 1,336 | 5.07% | 26,354 |
| Island | 19,649 | 55.13% | 14,930 | 41.89% | 1,063 | 2.98% | 4,719 | 13.24% | 35,642 |
| Jefferson | 7,441 | 42.23% | 9,567 | 54.29% | 613 | 3.48% | -2,126 | -12.07% | 17,621 |
| King | 368,893 | 44.81% | 428,360 | 52.03% | 25,980 | 3.16% | -59,467 | -7.22% | 823,233 |
| Kitsap | 56,828 | 50.78% | 51,532 | 46.04% | 3,557 | 3.18% | 5,296 | 4.73% | 111,917 |
| Kittitas | 8,912 | 59.88% | 5,519 | 37.08% | 452 | 3.04% | 3,393 | 22.80% | 14,883 |
| Klickitat | 4,529 | 53.72% | 3,571 | 42.36% | 331 | 3.93% | 958 | 11.36% | 8,431 |
| Lewis | 19,692 | 65.13% | 9,643 | 31.89% | 901 | 2.98% | 10,049 | 33.24% | 30,236 |
| Lincoln | 3,514 | 66.73% | 1,619 | 30.74% | 133 | 2.53% | 1,895 | 35.99% | 5,266 |
| Mason | 12,720 | 53.51% | 10,262 | 43.17% | 790 | 3.32% | 2,458 | 10.34% | 23,772 |
| Okanogan | 8,706 | 58.27% | 5,612 | 37.56% | 623 | 4.17% | 3,094 | 20.71% | 14,941 |
| Pacific | 4,397 | 45.96% | 4,815 | 50.33% | 355 | 3.71% | -418 | -4.37% | 9,567 |
| Pend Oreille | 3,345 | 57.40% | 2,235 | 38.35% | 248 | 4.26% | 1,110 | 19.05% | 5,828 |
| Pierce | 151,733 | 51.34% | 135,331 | 45.79% | 8,457 | 2.86% | 16,402 | 5.55% | 295,521 |
| San Juan | 3,729 | 40.25% | 5,058 | 54.60% | 477 | 5.15% | -1,329 | -14.35% | 9,264 |
| Skagit | 26,560 | 54.02% | 21,024 | 42.76% | 1,587 | 3.23% | 5,536 | 11.26% | 49,171 |
| Skamania | 2,472 | 52.22% | 2,035 | 42.99% | 227 | 4.80% | 437 | 9.23% | 4,734 |
| Snohomish | 138,465 | 49.98% | 130,380 | 47.06% | 8,215 | 2.97% | 8,085 | 2.92% | 277,060 |
| Spokane | 104,629 | 55.06% | 79,612 | 41.89% | 5,801 | 3.05% | 25,017 | 13.16% | 190,042 |
| Stevens | 11,258 | 60.06% | 6,783 | 36.19% | 704 | 3.76% | 4,475 | 23.87% | 18,745 |
| Thurston | 63,581 | 59.56% | 40,084 | 37.55% | 3,086 | 2.89% | 23,497 | 22.01% | 106,751 |
| Wahkiakum | 1,156 | 56.36% | 827 | 40.32% | 68 | 3.32% | 329 | 16.04% | 2,051 |
| Walla Walla | 13,474 | 63.67% | 7,097 | 33.54% | 590 | 2.79% | 6,377 | 30.14% | 21,161 |
| Whatcom | 41,438 | 49.91% | 38,577 | 46.47% | 3,008 | 3.62% | 2,861 | 3.45% | 83,023 |
| Whitman | 8,857 | 53.62% | 7,095 | 42.95% | 567 | 3.43% | 1,762 | 10.67% | 16,519 |
| Yakima | 42,644 | 61.56% | 24,673 | 35.62% | 1,955 | 2.82% | 17,971 | 25.94% | 69,272 |
| Totals | 1,369,421 | 51.47% | 1,209,299 | 45.45% | 82,097 | 3.09% | 160,122 | 6.02% | 2,660,817 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Clark (largest city: Vancouver)
- Grays Harbor (largest city: Aberdeen)
- Kitsap (largest city: Bremerton)
- Mason (largest city: Shelton)
- Pierce (largest city: Tacoma)
- Snohomish (largest city: Everett)
- Wahkiakum (largest city: Puget Island)
References
- ^ https://columbiabasinherald.com/news/2004/sep/08/reed-asks-voters-to-participate-in-state-primaries/
- ^ https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2004/nov/03/state-offices/
- ^ a b https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/ruderman-to-run-for-secretary-of-state-1128512.php
- ^ a b c Reed, Sam (September 14, 2004). "Elections Search Results September 2004 Primary". Secretary of State of Washington. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- ^ https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/campaign-spending-charges-abound-in-contest-for-1153972.php
- ^ Editorial Board, The Seattle Times (October 31, 2004). "The Seattle Times endorses ..." The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- ^ a b Reed, Sam (November 2, 2004). "Elections Search Results November 2004 General Secretary of State". Secretary of State of Washington. Retrieved January 28, 2026.